Emma Stone’s upcoming movie Poor Things gives the actress the best chance at beating her Rotten Tomatoes record. Poor Things is Stone’s first major film release since 2018’s Cruella, the live-action origin prequel story for Disney’s villainous Cruella de Vil. The upcoming dark comedy reunites Stone with filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos after working together on 2018’s The Favourite and a short film titled Bleat. Though Olivia Colman won an Oscar for her performance in The Favourite, Stone was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress.
Poor Things is likely Emma Stone’s next shot at an Academy Award, but she will be back in leading categories this time. Based on Alasdair Gray’s 1992 novel, Stone is set to play Bella Baxter, a young woman resurrected Frankenstein-monster style by her guardian. Seemingly brought back to life against her wishes, Bella breaks from her guardian’s control and runs off with a lawyer on a journey of self-discovery. The Victorian tale of liberation doesn’t release until December, but rave reviews are already coming out of 2023’s Venice Film Festival.
Poor Things Is Currently Emma Stone’s Highest-Rated Movie On Rotten Tomatoes
Following Poor Things‘ release at the Venice Film Festival, the movie holds a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The number is currently Stone’s highest rating for a movie role on the site. Though there hasn’t been any audience score yet, due to the exclusive film festival release until the end of the year, the 100% rating is quite impressive considering it’s nearing 40 reviews thus far. Even if the Rotten Tomatoes score for Poor Things dips a little with more reviews incoming, there’s still a great chance that it could remain Emma Stone’s best-rated movie in her acting history. That would officially break the record held by her Yorgos Lanthimos movie from five years ago.
Without taking into account Poor Things‘ Rotten Tomatoes score, Emma Stone’s next highest score is 93% from The Favourite. This is no surprise, considering the accolades The Favourite received. Interestingly, Poor Things probably wouldn’t have happened with Stone had she not been cast in The Favourite. Lanthimos eyed Stone for the lead role for Poor Things while the two collaborated for the 2018 movie. Stone has two other movies tied at 91%: La La Land, which won her the Oscar for Best Actress, and Birdman, a film that led to numerous award nominations.
Why Poor Things’ Reviews Are So Good
While Emma Stone rose to prominence through comedies like Superbad, Easy A, and Zombieland, it was clear from the early days of her career that she had a very bright future ahead. Stone didn’t stick to comedies or lighthearted movies, but it wasn’t until after her stint as Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spider-Man series that she tackled more unorthodox and award-worthy roles. Poor Things is just the latest role that someone of only Stone’s prowess can approach. Unsurprisingly, Stone’s performance has been noted as a significant factor in why the movie is receiving perfect Rotten Tomatoes scores. Some first reactions are even calling Poor Things a “masterpiece.”
Stone gave a memorable performance as Abigail in The Favourite, but Lanthimos seemingly made the right choice in casting the actress for the lead in Poor Things. The movie is said to be strange and over the top, but the story works through Lanthimos’ guidance and Stone’s artistry. Using elements of Frankenstein might be a risk, but Poor Things excels in using the lore as a jumping-off point for a more poignant lesson about self-discovery. Poor Things solidifies Stone and Lanthimos’ movie partnership, so it’s good news that they have at least two more collaborations in the works.
